The present inventions relate generally to shelf-type storage racks systems and, more particularly, to improved cross bars used to create storage shelves. The cross bars of the present inventions are locked or secured against undesired movement without bolts and the like to create a shelf so that loads are properly supported. The locking cross bars are also readily removeable and reusable.
Shelf-type storage racks are widely known in the storage and warehouse industry. Typical shelf-type storage racks include at least four vertical columns rigidly interconnected by generally horizontal deck beams which are positioned in a transverse relation with pairs of columns that are spaced by horizontal and diagonal members commonly referred to as storage rack trusses. The storage rack trusses may be arranged as a series of back-to-back arrays with each array, including the horizontal deck beam, facing an access aisle. As is typical in known, shelf-type systems, a series of wooden slats are placed between the opposing deck beams to form shelves where pallets and other loads may be stored and accessed by warehouse personnel. The front of the shelf is usually adjacent to an access aisle, where warehouse personnel typically use high lifts, fork lifts and the like to place and remove pallets and their loads from the shelves.
As indicated, one common way of creating the storage shelves is the use of wooden slats, typically two-by-fours, as cross bars between the deck beams. When using this method, the front and back deck beams are typically roll formed prior to installation to provide a ridge or lip on their upper surface upon which the wooden slats are placed. However, in this configuration, the slats are prone to being knocked-out, skewed or otherwise misaligned between the deck beams as a result of, among other things, contact with a pallet or fork lift or being otherwise inadvertently disturbed by the warehouse personnel. If this shifting or knock-out of one or more slats is unknown to the warehouse personnel, subsequent placement of a load could result in the load falling, leading to injury to the personnel and/or damages to the load, equipment or rack structure. At best, making sure that the slats are properly positioned between the deck beams is time consuming for the warehouse personnel.
Another method of creating storage shelves using slats is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,031 (incorporated herein by reference). In this method, wooden cross bars are inserted in the channels between the opposing deck beams. Although an improvement, this method has disadvantages such as increased construction costs and decreased flexibility.
Still another known method that may be used to create storage shelves is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,332 B1 (also incorporated herein by reference). This method is particularly useful in storage situations, such as the grocery sector, where only some items stored on a pallet need to be accessed, as opposed to access to the whole load or pallet and its load. Although this system is also an improvement over other known shelf-type storage systems, its configuration is not required in every storage application.